These are my symptoms. I've had xrays which show long transverse process of C7, MRIs showed nothing and doppler ultrasound showed that the blood flow is slightly restricted on the RHS when I raise my arm. I've been off work since November when I flew from Edinburgh to London on a very bumpy flight. I have had physio, taping and acupuncture since then. I was allergic to cortisone so can't have that again. I am due to go back to my neurologist. I have already told him I think I have TOS. What do you reckon? I want to have surgery, I can't go on like this, my life is on hold and my parents are having to do all of my household chores for me.

Nov/ Dec
Intense pain back of neck and head
Neck in spasm and head stuck forward

Since then
Pain across from RHS neck to shoulder and down arm
Pain in chest – RHS
Pain in neck RHS
Difficulty breathing
Blue/ purple hands and feet
Funny little blisters on toes
veins in hands blue painful and raised
Ambulance to A&E due to breathing difficulties. Developed tetany/carpal spasm when BP cuff administered.
Painful blood vessel R arm

Now
Little finger R arm – pins and needles and pain and sticks out more to the side than usual
Blood vessels all raised R arm
Stabbing pain in outside R elbow
Pain on inside of R elbow
Pain on ulnar side of R wrist
Pain in right thumb
Tingling on R side of head/neck
Feeling that there is something in my throat
Feeling of pressure on R collar bone area
Pain in R collar bone area
Strange feeling on outside of L lower arm. Pain when mobilized by physio
Constant pain R shoulder
Dusky cold R hand and both feet
Fatigue after walking a v short distance – develop a limp
On waking in the morning I notice a buzzing feeling in the soles of both feet – almost feels like the sort of sensation you get when you have walked a long way and your feet are tired
If I bend over to pick something up, I feel dizzy and struggle to breathe and it takes a long time to recover from this feeling
Very tired all the time. Minimal activity exhausts me.

TIA

You are the 3rd recent member with a long transverse process of C7..
here are the others - http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread151595.html
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread151610.html

some of the same info should be helpful for you.

Often long term TOS can or will spread to feet or legs , but most likely due to myofascial pain if no other cause is found. Or it could be a spinal issue or another condition.
If you ever had a hit, fall or other jarring of the spine a expert evaluation by a chiropractor or advanced PT person, is a good thing, just to be sure all is in good alignment.

What brought your pain & symptoms on?
The Nov plane flight? or did you have problems before then?
Any desk/ computer work, car accident, sports?


[Feeling that there is something in my throat
Feeling of pressure on R collar bone area
Pain in R collar bone area]
these are exactly what I had during and after my severe spasms - for me it was my top rib, it had gotten pulled up from the spasms and had stayed stuck up like that even after my chiro had gotten rid of the spasms. It also crowds the collarbone /top rib area even more so symptoms are more limiting and arm fatigue sets in faster.

my suggestion - get the spasms resolved by an expert PT or DC and then have them drop/mobilize your top rib back into place.
It was amazing to me when the adv PT guy did this simple maneuver on my top ribs.
It may take more than one time for them to stay down, esp if your spams return.
If you are hyper mobile things can go out of place quite easily, so be aware of that.

Severe spasms will even seem like a heart attack feeling and affect the inter coastal rib muscles which affects the breathing.
scary feeling.. been there.

Has your PT done any manual trigger point work?
Are they focusing on pain& symptom reducing first?? - before any strengthening or resistance work?

other things
posture
blood work up for other causes - thyroid, diabetes etc
nutrition - maybe a good multi vitamin, MSM, Cal/Mag
fluids to keeps body lubricated
proper breathing form the diaphragm

Thank you Jo. I have been lurking for a while and have read all of the posts going back the last year or so!